What is in this leaflet

All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking this medicine against the benefits they expect it will have for you.

If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Keep this leaflet with this medicine.

You may need to read it again.

What Riluzole Winthrop is used for

The brand name of your medicine is Riluzole Winthrop. The active ingredient in the medicine is called riluzole.

Riluzole Winthrop is used to treat people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which can cause muscle degeneration leading to muscle weakness. It is a form of Motor Neurone Disease.

Your doctor may have prescribed this medicine for another reason.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you.

This medicine is only available with a doctor's prescription.

It is important to remember that you may not feel any different when you take Riluzole Winthrop. The benefits of using Riluzole Winthrop may not be noticeable to you. You should not stop taking Riluzole Winthrop without speaking to your doctor first.

Before you take it

When you must not take it

Do not take Riluzole Winthrop if you:

have liver disease

are pregnant or intend to become pregnant

are breast feeding or intend to breastfeed

Do not if you are allergic to riluzole or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.

Do not give this medicine to a child.

There is no experience with the use of this medicine in children.

Do not take this medicine after the expiry date (EXP) printed on the pack.

If you take it after the expiry date has passed, it may not work as well.

Do not use it if the packaging is damaged or shows signs of tampering.

Before you start to take it

Tell your doctor if you are allergic to any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or intend to become pregnant.

This medicine is not recommended to be used during pregnancy.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed.

It is not known whether it passes into breast milk. Your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits of taking it if you are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed.

Tell your doctor if you have or have had any medical conditions,especially the following:

liver disease

kidney disease

lung disease

Tell your doctor if you plan to have surgery.

If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell them before you take this medicine.

Taking other medicines

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you buy without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food store.

Some medicines and Riluzole Winthrop may interfere with each other. These include:

theophylline - a medicine used to treat asthma.

amitriptyline - a medicine used to treat depression

tacrine - a medicine used in patients with Alzheimer's Disease

some types of antibiotics eg. rifampicin and quinolones

omeprazole - a medicine used to treat gastric ulcers

some medicines used to treat depression eg. clomipramine and fluvoxamine

diazepam - a medicine for sedation

diclofenac - a medicine used to reduce pain and inflammation.

These medicines may be affected by Riluzole Winthrop, or may affect how well it works. You may need to use different amounts of your medicine or you may need to take different medicines. Your doctor or pharmacist will advise you.

Tell your doctor if you smoke and how much coffee you drink. Nicotine and caffeine may affect the amount of Riluzole Winthrop in your body.

How to take Riluzole Winthrop

How much to take

Your doctor or pharmacist will tell you how many Riluzole Winthrop tablets you should take, and when to take them.

The recommended dose is usually one tablet two times a day.

Do not take more than the dose your doctor has directed.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure what dose to take.

You should not change the dosage without speaking to your doctor first.

How to take it

Swallow Riluzole Winthrop tablets with a full glass of water or other liquid.

Do not chew the tablets.

When to take it

Riluzole Winthrop should not be taken immediately before or after meals, especially meals which may contain food high in fat.

Riluzole Winthrop may not work as well if it is taken at the same time as your meals.

Take your prescribed dose at about the same time each day.

How long to take it

Do not stop taking Riluzole Winthrop unless your doctor tells you to, even if you feel better.

If you forget to take it

If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the dose you missed and take your next dose when you are meant to.

Do not take a double dose to make up for the dose that you missed.

If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

If you take too much (overdose)

Immediately telephone your doctor, or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone Australia 13 11 26 or New Zealand 0800 POISON or 0800 764 766), or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital, if you think you or anyone else may have taken too much Riluzole Winthrop. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning.

You may need urgent medical attention.

While you are taking Riluzole Winthrop

Things you must do

Tell all the doctors, dentists and pharmacists who are treating you that you are taking Riluzole Winthrop. If you are about to be started on any new medicine, tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking Riluzole Winthrop.

If you plan to have surgery that needs a general anaesthetic, tell your doctor or dentist that you are taking this medicine.

If you become pregnant while you are taking this medicine tell your doctor immediately.

During your treatment with Riluzole Winthrop your doctor will do some blood tests from time to time to check for any possible signs of liver damage.

Things you must not do

Do not take more than the recommended dose unless your doctor tells you to.

Do not give this medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you.

Do not use this medicine to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to.

Do not stop taking this medicine, or lower the dosage, without checking with your doctor.

Things to be careful of

Be careful driving or operating machinery until you know how this medicine affects you.

This medicine may cause drowsiness or dizziness in some people. Make sure you know how you react to it before you drive a car, operate machinery, or do anything else that could be dangerous if you are dizzy.

Side Effects

Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking Riluzole Winthrop.

All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, most of the time they are not. You may need medical treatment if you get some of the side effects.

Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have.

Tell your doctor if you notice any of the following:

stomach ache, nausea or vomiting

headache

joint stiffness

skin problems eg. rash, flaking skin

dizziness

sleepiness

weakness or loss of strength

These are the most common side effects of this medicine.

Tell your doctor immediately, or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital if you notice any of the following:

Date published: Reasonable care is taken to provide accurate information at the time of creation. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical advice and should not be exclusively relied on to manage or diagnose a medical condition. NPS MedicineWise disclaims all liability (including for negligence) for any loss, damage or injury resulting from reliance on or use of this information. Read our full disclaimer. This website uses cookies. Read our privacy policy.